Looking for that one thing

Risks inherent in pursuit of perfect shot

Canon recently released a commercial for its Rebel T4i DSLR camera. It shows various photographers braving the elements, wild animals and other hardships, putting themselves in potentially dangerous situations to get their shots. And I have to admit (much to my wife's chagrin) that I am guilty of having my share of close calls. So why do photographers suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune?

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By Clifford Oto

recordnet.com

By Clifford Oto

Posted Dec. 3, 2012 at 12:01 AM

By Clifford Oto
Posted Dec. 3, 2012 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

Canon recently released a commercial for its Rebel T4i DSLR camera. It shows various photographers braving the elements, wild animals and other hardships, putting themselves in potentially dangerous situations to get their shots. And I have to admit (much to my wife's chagrin) that I am guilty of having my share of close calls. So why do photographers suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune?

Why do war photographers travel to battle-scarred countries to risk their lives looking for "bang-bang," as they call it?

Newspaper photographers face the grind of the daily deadline, often pushing the limits of those deadlines (and their editors' blood pressure) to get the right shot. Why do we often sacrifice our personal lives to arrive early and stay late?

Why do wedding photographers give up most of their weekends to ply their craft?

In the 1991 movie "City Slickers" urbanite Mitch (Billy Crystal) out on dude ranch cattle drive asks rough and tumble cowboy Curly (Jack Palance) the meaning of life. Curly raises a single finger and says "One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean (expletive)."

Mitch then asks, "But, what is the 'one thing?' " To which Curly replies: "That's what you have to find out."

Life everywhere is full of special moments. It's up to each photographer to decide which ones to capture.

For the war photographer, perhaps it's the moment that provides the meaning of the conflict they're covering. It could be a fallen soldier being carried to safety by his comrades or in the eyes of a child living in the horrors of a war zone.

The wedding photographer hopes to record a newlywed couple's special day to show their happiness and newly created bond as they step into a life as husband and wife. It can come from a look, a touch of the hand or a smile between the two.

News photographers witness and record daily life around us, and capture telling moments that will not only inform readers but move them as well. We seek and sometimes lie in wait for that perfect moment that tells the story of the day.

You may think a landscape photo can be taken anytime, but a nature/wildlife shooter aims not only to capture the beauty of the natural world, but to look for that special slice of time. He will trudge through snowy mountains or the searing sands of a desert for the moment when the light kisses a leaf or spreads across a mountain range.

Sports photographers look for that moment of "peak action." It could be a football at the outstretched fingertips of a wide receiver, the ball leaving a shooting guard's hands, or a ball flying from the end of a golfer's club.

Although we all are photographers and we probably use similar equipment, there are different skill sets that different types of photographers require. But what photographers of every discipline have in common is the satisfying feeling when we press the camera's button, hear and feel the mirror flip up and the shutter open, and know we've captured that special moment.

Clifford Oto at (209) 546-8263 or coto@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/otoblog.